Features

It’s true. Volume One just turned 20 years old. We can’t believe it either! For two decades now we’ve been doing our ever-evolving thing in this community with just one strategic plan: It’s called Doing Things Things we think might be fun. Things we think the community needs. And things we think could play a role in moving this place forward.

With that in mind, over these twenty years we’ve become a media company with publications, websites, social media feeds, video and marketing capabilities, and more. We’re an event production company creating hundreds of community happenings for thousands of locals and tourists alike. And we’re a downtown retailer with our placebased shop, The Local Store, featuring thousands of products from local makers and beyond. So we’ve changed a lot since that first black-and-white zine came out in 2002. But we’re not the only thing that has evolved over these two decades. Obviously a lot can change in any community in the span of twenty years. (Or at least one would hope so.) And in the case of Eau Claire and the broader Chippewa Valley, that is absolutely the case. And we’re thankful for that. Most would take that to mean physical changes – new neighborhoods, businesses, amenities, and more. The stuff that literally makes up the community around us. In that regard we’ve seen truly incredible changes – developments and redevelopments, parks and trails, streets and plazas –with more on the way. But perhaps more importantly to any meaningful place, are the changes you can’t see – things like attitudes, mindsets, ideas, and collaborations.

When we first launched, we were surrounded by a lot of people complaining “there was nothing to do here,” that many good ideas “would never work here,” or even that they “couldn’t wait to get out of this place.” Thankfully, we’ve seen this community’s attitude toward itself completely transform over these last two decades as so many people, organizations, and businesses have worked together to redefine what’s possible here. And we’ve felt very lucky to be here to help tell some of those stories along the way.

Today, while there’s still plenty of work to be done, this is truly a bustling, growing, and evolving community with a very bright future. Thank you for letting us be a part of it for these last twenty years, and for your generous support along the way.

CH-CH-CH-CHANGES: A TWENTY YEAR TIMELINE

Far too much good has happened in the community over the past two decades to list it all here. So the timeline here – in selfish recognition of our own anniversary – is mostly made up of Volume One’s own history of modestly notable moments. But along with those we’ve included a handful of Chippewa Valley milestones that have impacted the broader community and adjusted our collective trajectory in one way or another. Did we miss some? Absolutely. Do we care? Well, yeah, but only so much. Please don’t come at us, we’re short on time and on deadline (just as we have been for twenty years)!

2002

JANUARY

Downtown Eau Claire Inc., a new nonprofit city-affiliated organization meant to create economic development and events downtown, is created.

MARCH

Seeing a need for increased attention to the community’s growing cultural scene, Nick Meyer and Dale Karls publish the first issue of Volume One. “While planning the premiere issue of Volume One, we came across a common misconception about art and entertainment in Eau Claire — many people believe they don’t exist. You’re holding in your hands our 24-page argument to the contrary.”

JUNE

Jamf Software is founded in Eau Claire. The company creates software to help organizations manage Apple devices.

NOVEMBER

Beginning a tradition that continues to this day, Volume One publishes contributors’ bios and photos for the first time.

December

The Eau Claire City Council approves a plan for Royal Credit Union to build a new corporate headquarters downtown, across from the future Phoenix Park. The office building becomes a catalyst for the transformation of the North Barstow Redevelopment Area.

2003

MARCH

Volume One announces its first-ever fiction contest. Winning entries are published in later issues.

MAY

For the first time, the magazine is divided into sections, such as Music, Literature, Art, Film, and Theatre.

SEPTEMBER

The magazine is printed with a glossy cover for the first time. (Still black and white, though.)

SEPTEMBER

Volume One takes to the Interwebs at VolumeOne.org (VolumeOne.com was already taken).

2004

JULY

The Eau Claire City Council signs a lease with the Northwoods Baseball League, paving the way for a team to play at Carson Park the next summer. The team is later named the Eau Claire Express.

AUGUST

Volume One hits a milestone, publishing the work of its 100th contributor.

SEPTEMBER

Volume One moves into its first publicly accessible office at 17 S. Barstow St.

DECEMBER

The Children’s Museum of Eau Claire opens its doors at 220 S. Barstow St.

2005

APRIL 1

As an April Fools’ Day joke, Volume One reports that Oakwood Mall won a national contest and Hollywood stars Bruce Willis and Jessica Alba would visit to promote their new film Sin City (which opened on April Fools’ Day). It blew up in local media – both the rumor, and then the story that it was all just a joke. So the gang had to show up at the theater and apologize to anyone who was fooled. Not everyone thought it was funny.

APRIL

Royal Credit Union holds its annual meeting inside its new headquarters, 200 Riverfront Terrace, across from Phoenix Park.

JUNE

Volume One launches the Back Alley Summer Cinema Series: free Monday night community movie screenings in a previously forgotten alley along Graham Avenue. Roughly 200 people attended each week.

September

Volume One’s Back Alley Sh-Bang Concert is held in the same Graham Avenue alley as the Cinema Series, featuring The Black-Eyed Snakes and others.

October

Downtown Eau Claire Inc. gives out the first grants as part of its new Jump-Start Downtown competition for entrepreneurs.

2006

APRIL 1

Volume One hosts its first community-wide April Fools’ Day Pillow Fight on an empty lot on the corner of Barstow and Madison streets.

APRIL

Volume One publishes its first biweekly, tabloid-sized, full-color issue. Until this point, the publication had published once a month in a smaller, black-and-white format.

May

What was then known as the Sounds Like Spring Concert Series premieres in the newly opened Phoenix Park in downtown Eau Claire. As crowds grew week to week, the series was extended into the summer, becoming the Sounds Like Summer series that’s been held annually since.

JULY

The Downtown Eau Claire Farmers Market moves into a newly built pavilion on Phoenix Park. The market had previously been held in the Railroad Street parking lot.

August

The long-awaited U.S. Highway 53 bypass opens, diverting traffic around the city of Eau Claire.

September

Volume One and Downtown Eau Claire Inc. host the first Idea Lounge, a laidback but inspiring forum series to discuss hot community topics. This one, “The Rise of the Creative Class and How It’s Shaping Our Lives Right Here in the Chippewa Valley,” draws an enthusiastic crowd of 140.

November

Volume One publishes its first Holiday Handbook. The guide eventually evolves into an annual Best of the Holidays issue.

2007

APRIL

Volume One publishes the first edition of the annual Eat Scene dining guide, which boasts more than 250 restaurant listings. Eat Scene expands over the years to include every restaurant and bar in the region.

MAY

Volume One publishes its first-ever Hot Spots summer guide. Eventually, the pull-out guide evolves into an annual Best of Summer issue.

MAY

Volume One celebrates its fifth anniversary by publishing its first (and last) book: The Best of Volume One, Vol. 1.

JULY

Eau Claire native Justin Vernon self-releases the first album from his new musical project, Bon Iver. For Emma, Forever Ago catches the ears of critics and fans, and launches Bon Iver to stardom.

August

Chalkfest, a sidewalk chalk-art festival, makes its debut in downtown Eau Claire’s Wilson Park. The annual event grows to include scores of artists and hundreds of visits, and moves to the UW-Eau Claire campus in 2015.

August

The first version of what will become the U.S. National Kubb Tournament is held in Eau Claire, drawing 35 players.

September

Volume One publishes the results of its first-ever Best of the Chippewa Valley Reader Poll. There are results in about 100 categories. (By 2022, the number of categories has surpassed 350.)

September

Volume One creates the Big Sh-Bang Music Festival, featuring 50 bands at eight venues over three days.

December

The Eau Claire City Council approves an agreement with developers Michael Lander and Geoff Moeding to build a mixed use development worth $20 million called Phoenix Parkside. The project is a major anchor for the North Barstow redevelopment.

2008

MARCH

Volume One creates a profile on a new-ish social networking site called Facebook.

APRIL

Volume One’s cover art, a photo of a pair of tomato-splattered art students from a performance art piece titled “Slaptick,” stirs comment and criticism: Some see the image as artistic social commentary; others say it evokes violence and is in poor taste.

JULY

Clear Vision Eau Claire, a community-wide planning process, produces a report outlining the community’s needs and potential partnerships. In the ensuing decade, projects like the Pablo Center at the Confluence, Sculpture Tour Eau Claire, community gardens, and more are inspired by this process.

AUGUST

VolumeOne.org is totally revamped, transforming from a relatively simple blog to a complete online version of the magazine, including the events calendar.

OCTOBER

Just Local Food Co-op expands, moving into a new location at 1117 S. Farwell St., Eau Claire.

OCTOBER

Volume One’s “Tunnel of Terror” debuts, welcoming more than a thousand kids through the office – completely transformed into a makeshift haunted house – as a part of downtown Eau Claire’s Trick-or-Treating event.

DECEMBER

For the first (and so far only) time, Volume One features a cover interview. The subject is Justin Vernon of Bon Iver.

2009

MAY

About 200 runners compete in the first Eau Claire Marathon in recent years, which begins and ends in Carson Park.

MAY

Tuesday Night Blues debuts at the Owen Park Bandshell.

JUNE

In a journalistic coup, Volume One interviews Ray Szmanda, the legendary “Menards Guy.”

JULY

A community garden is proposed along Forest Street in downtown Eau Claire. It opens in 2010, and is now called the Forest Street Community Garden.

OCTOBER

A collaboration between the State Theatre and Volume One creates the first season of the Back Stage Concert Series, bringing performers and the audience together behind the curtain right on stage for an intimate and unique music experience.

2010

JANUARY

In collaboration with the Eau Claire Curling Club, Volume One launches a beginner’s curling league to introduce newbies to the icy Olympic sport.

JANUARY

The first Winter After Hours is held in Boyd Park near downtown Eau Claire. The outdoor winter social includes ice skating, snow sculpting, a fire pit, hot beverages, and more. The annual wintertime event relocates to Pinehurst Park in January 2019.

MAY

Volume One publishes its first-ever theme issue, “Reinventing Our Streets,” dedicating to reimagining the community’s street infrastructure as the city plans redevelopment of Barstow Street and Hastings Way.

May

The inaugural Chippewa Valley Rock-n-Roll Kickball Classic draws 16 teams and more than 1,000 attendees to Altoona for a tournament and concert by the Shouting Matches.

September

Lazy Monk Brewing in Eau Claire and Lucette Brewing in Menomonie become the vanguard of a new wave of craft breweries in the Chippewa Valley.

September

Volume One’s classic 1967 red van makes its debut at the International Fall Festival Parade with an “Action Squad” of red jump-suited, sparkly-helmeted staffers shooting mini teddy bears into the crowd.

November

A small-scale, “test” version of The Local Store makes its debut inside the Volume One office, 17 S. Barstow St.

2011

FEBRUARY

Construction begins on the new $48.8 million Davies Student Center at UW-Eau Claire. This is the first in a series of new campus buildings in the next few years, including Centennial Hall, which opens in 2014.

MAY

Installation starts on 27 street-side works of art as part of the first-ever Sculpture Tour Eau Claire.

MAY

Luther Midelfort officially changes its name to Mayo Clinic Health System.

AUGUST

Volume One explores the growing river tubing scene in a feature titled “Tube Town.”

December

The Eau Claire City Council officially declares Eau Claire to be the Kubb Capital of North America.

2012

FEBRUARY

Bon Iver wins two Grammy awards, including Best New Artist and Best Alternative Music Album for Bon Iver, Bon Iver.

MARCH

The long-running Eau Claire Jazz Festival creates 52nd Street – now known as the Eau Claire Jazz Crawl – which transforms multiple venues in downtown Eau Claire into swingin’ jazz clubs.

MARCH

OakLeaf Surgical Hospital announces plans to build in Altoona’s River Prairie, touching off a flurry of development in the largely undeveloped district.

MAY

The Confluence Project, a multimillion-dollar plan to build an arts center and a mixed-use private development at the confluence of the Eau Claire and Chippewa rivers, is announced. The effort is a collaboration among UW-Eau Claire, Commonweal Development, Market & Johnson, and the Eau Claire Regional Arts Center.

JUNE

Volume One and The Local Store relocate into a newly remodeled “World Headquarters,” 205 N. Dewey St. The move allows for a big new store, a gallery and event space, and new magazine offices.

SEPTEMBER

Volume One publishes a theme issue, “Rethinking Our Rivers,” intended to spark conversations about how the Chippewa Valley can better use its waterways and riverfronts.

SEPTEMBER

Barstow Street and Graham Avenue in downtown Eau Claire switch from one-way to twoway traffic. Chaos does not ensue

2013

MAY

Volume One publishes the Chippewa Valley Report Card, an extensive feature that rates the region in everything from education to economics.

JULY

James C. Schmidt, vice chancellor at Winona State University, becomes chancellor of UW-Eau Claire.

AUGUST

Jamf breaks ground for a new office building across from Phoenix Park next to the Royal Credit Union headquarters.

September

Efforts to turn Eau Claire’s Pinehurst Park into a winter wonderland get a boost when the City Council OK’s an improvement plan. Donations and city funds will pay for infrastructure for sledders, skiers, snowboarders, and skaters.

2014

JANUARY

Volume One holds its first-ever Contriby Awards, a gala ceremony (complete with red carpet!) to honor the magazine’s contributing writers, artists, and photographers.

FEBRUARY

Voices for Growth, a political action committee to advocate for the Confluence Project, is formed.

APRIL

The Confluence Project wins big at the ballot box. Local voters approve a referendum to commit $3.5 million from Eau Claire County to the project; voters also reject a simultaneous referendum that would have required another binding referendum for any City of Eau Claire expenditure on the Confluence Project. (The Eau Claire City Council had already pledged $5 million to the project.)

JUNE

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker pledges to support the Confluence Project in the state budget.

AUGUST

UW-Eau Claire alumni John and Carolyn Sonnentag announce they are donating up to $10 million in land and funds to the UWEC Foundation to build a new multipurpose venue on Menomonie Street to replace Zorn Arena.

SEPTEMBER

Volume One publishes its third-ever theme issue, “Rebuilding Our Neighborhoods,” which focuses on strengthening a sense of community close to home.

OCTOBER

Ground is broken in the northwest quadrant of Altoona’s River Prairie, which will soon be the site of businesses, apartments, a park, an amphitheater, and much more.

2015

APRIL

The Brewing Project opens its taproom on Oxford Avenue after a years-long bureaucratic saga. An expanded brewing and taproom opens across the street in May 2019.

JUNE

Blue Ox Music Festival, which is devoted to roots, bluegrass, and Americana, debuts at Whispering Pines Campground outside Eau Claire.

JULY

Volume One launches a new family oriented bimonthly publication, Chippewa Valley Family.

JULY

The newly restored High Bridge, a former railroad bridge over the Chippewa River, opens for pedestrians and bikers.

JULY

Volume One publishes a special issue, “Music Capital of the North,” focusing on the importance of music to the region’s culture, history, economy, and identity.

JULY

The Eaux Claires Music & Arts Festival premieres at Foster Farms outside Eau Claire. The fest, created by Justin Vernon of Bon Iver and Aaron Dessner of The National, features their bands plus Lizzo, Sufjan Stevens, Indigo Girls, and many more.

OCTOBER

The Local Store launches the first Night Market, a recurring event series featuring local makers, live music, a food truck, samples, and more.

2016

MARCH

The Eau Claire City Council votes to allow food trucks to operate on most city streets and in certain parks, marking the beginning of the local food truck boom.

APRIL

Volume One is named Small Business of the Year by the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce in the 1-25 employee category.

MAY

The Lismore Hotel opens in downtown Eau Claire in the former Ramada Inn, which had been sold in a sheriff’s sale two years earlier after falling into disrepair.

JUNE

Eau Claire’s revival is featured as one of “240 Reasons to Celebrate America” in a special issue of Time magazine.

OCTOBER

The Oxbow, downtown Eau Claire’s first boutique hotel, opens in the former Green Tree Inn in downtown Eau Claire.

OCTOBER

Ground is broken for the Confluence Arts Center, beginning a nearly two-year construction project.

2017

JUNE

The first Oxbeaux Street concert is held outside the Oxbow Hotel and Volume One office with 2,000 attendees. Headlined by The Shouting Matches, the event is a collaboration between The Oxbow, Volume One, and the Eaux Claires Music & Arts Festival.

September

The first-ever Chippewa Valley Restaurant Week is launched by Volume One with the First Taste Culinary Crawl at Banbury Place. Over the coming week, more than 40 local restaurants take part in the celebration, offering special deals to patrons.

SEPTEMBER

Volume One launches an event ticketing service, Volume One Tickets, an online portal dedicated exclusively to Eau Claire area events.

NOVEMBER

Volume One begins offering professional (and award-winning!) video production services on a word-of-mouth basis to area businesses and organizations.

2018

FEBRUARY

Volume One holds its first ever Best Night celebration at the Lismore Hotel, which coincides with the release of the annual Best of the Chippewa Valley Reader Poll results. The gathering features food, music, a comedy club inside the V1 van, and much more.

FEBRUARY

Volume One unveils its first-ever Chippewa Valley Vanguard Award winners. The awards honor up-and-coming local leaders in a variety of fields, including the arts, education, business, government, and social action.

FEBRUARY

The Confluence Arts Center will officially be named the Pablo Center at the Confluence. A newly formed philanthropic group, the Pablo Foundation, secures naming rights with a $5 million donation.

MAY

Volume One’s Food Truck Friday debuts in the “Railroad Lot” in downtown Eau Claire. The monthly event brings hundreds of hungry locals and a rotating lineup of food trucks. The following year, Food Truck Friday finds a permanent home in Phoenix Park.

JUNE

Chippewa Valley Family launches the Saturday Morning Hullabaloo, a kid-oriented music series in Phoenix Park.

JUNE

An artist-in-residence program at the Oxbow Hotel brings Chicago artist Molly Z to town. With the help of local artists, she creates a mural on building on the corner of North Farwell and Galloway streets, fueling a new downtown mural trend.

JULY

Volume One’s sister publication, Chippewa Valley Family, announces its first 10 Under 10 honorees: 10 Chippewa Valley kids under the age of 10 who demonstrated unique accomplishments and abilities.

JULY

A steel pedestrian bridge is installed over the Eau Claire River between Haymarket Plaza and Phoenix Park.

AUGUST

The State Theatre closes after 30 years as the home of the Eau Claire Regional Arts Center. The theater was original built in 1926 for vaudeville and silent movies.

SEPTEMBER

A grand opening is held for the Pablo Center at the Confluence.

NOVEMBER

In partnership with Volume One, the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce launches Think Eau Claire, a community campaign designed to attract young talent to the community.

NOVEMBER

Volume One holds a live event, “True North: Real Wisconsin Stories Unfolding Live On Stage,” at the Pablo Center. Two sold-out shows run Nov. 16-17, and include live readings, original musical performances, and multimedia.

2019

FEBRUARY

Volume One cracks 100 pages for the first time with a mega version of its annual Best of the Chippewa Valley issue.

JUNE

Volume One and Chippewa Valley Family host the Great Big Hullabaloo, a huge family-themed event that fills the entire Pablo Center with music, technology, science, art, theater, dance, and more.

JUNE

A ribbon-cutting is held for Riverfront Park in downtown Chippewa Falls, a cornerstone for downtown revitalization.

JUNE

The Chippewa Falls City Council approves completion of the final segment of the Old Abe Bike Trail. Starting in 2020, the Red Cedar, Chippewa River, and Old Abe trails will run for 80 continuous miles.

December

Volume One celebrates longevity with its 400th issue.

2020

MARCH

Amid the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Volume One produces the first of two special issues. For the first time in its history, the magazine also launches a membership program, ultimately receiving support from nearly 1,000 individuals and families.

APRIL

Voters overwhelmingly approve a $48.8 million referendum for Chippewa Valley Technical College, which will pay for a variety of projects.

MARCH

Katherine P. Frank becomes the first female chancellor in UW-Stout history.

APRIL AND MAY

Because most businesses are closed because of Wisconsin’s “Safer at Home” order, Volume One staffers hand-deliver issues to readers who sign up online.

SEPTEMBER

Volume One unveils a top-to-bottom redesign of its print magazine for the first time since 2006. The look, content, and size of the magazine are refreshed, and the website gets an upgrade, too

SEPTEMBER

The first episode of the Volume One Podcast is released, marking the organization’s first official foray into podcasting.

OCTOBER

Volume One releases a video, print, and online feature, “Outbroken: A Pandemic’s Impact on Wisconsin Farms and Food,” which is supported in part by the Facebook Journalism Project.

The feature goes on to win a host of awards, including from the Association for Alternative Newsmedia, the Local News Association, and the Milwaukee Press Club.

2021

APRIL

The L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library breaks ground for an $18.5 million expansion and renovation projects the biggest in the institution’s 45-year history. The library is slated to reopen in September 2022.

JULY

Sunem Beaton-Garcia becomes the first Latina and first female president of Eau Claire-based Chippewa Valley Technical College.

JULY

Huntsinger Farms outside Eau Claire hosts an estimated 52,000 visitors to Wisconsin Farm Technology Days, the largest agricultural show of its kind in the nation. (Huntsinger Farms, the world’s largest grower and processor of horseradish, is best known for its Silver Spring Foods brand.)

August

Data released from the 2020 U.S. Census shows that Eau Claire is now the eighth-largest city in Wisconsin, with a population of 69,421.

September

The merger of Menomonie Market Food Co-op and Just Local Food Co-op is approved. The following month, the combined co-op announces plans to build a newer, bigger store on Block 7 on North Barstow Street.

September

Ground is broken on a new Children’s Museum of Eau Claire on the so-called “liner site” on North Barstow Street. The museum will open in late 2022.

September

Ground is broken on a new Eau Claire Transit Center on South Farwell Street. The center will include parking, retail space, and affordable housing.

December

John and Carolyn Sonnentag announce they are increasing their gift to the UW-Eau Claire Foundation to $70 million – covering the entire private philanthropy for what is now referred to the as the County Materials Complex.

2022

March

Volume One adds a permanent Kids section to the magazine for the first time. The expanded coverage of family issues inside V1 coincides with sunsetting Chippewa Valley Family.

APRIL

Eau Claire native Stephanie Hirsch become the first female city manager in Eau Claire history.

APRIL

Ground is broken on the $107 million County Materials Complex, a multiuse public-private event center on Menomonie Street, which is expected to be finished by 2024.

JUNE

After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, Volume One’s special Eat Scene and Night Out dining and nightlife guides are published again.

JULY

Volume One celebrates its 20th anniversary with big bash at The Brewing Projekt, featuring a custom beer, lots of music, and summer vibes.